Obscured

I made this shot recently at work. I was shooting my Leica CL and Rokkor 40mm f2 lens, one of my all-time favorite combinations.

Obscured, by Reed A. George

Leica CL, Minolta Rokkor 40mm f2 Lens

Ilford HP5+ Film, Developed in Kodak D-76

 

I've recently gotten back into bulk loading 35mm film, with a couple of my friends. It's weird, but at current prices, Kodak's products cost the same per exposure in bulk (100' rolls) as they do packaged into single rolls. So, there's no advantage to bulk loading Kodak at the moment. Ilford's products are still priced so as to make bulk loading economical. At $54 per 100' roll of Ilford HP5+ (Adorama), I'm paying $3 per roll of 36 exposures. You get 18 rolls of 36 exposures from a bulk roll.

 

I'm also back to processing my own black and white film. I figure that with the relatively little time I have available for shooting, bulk loading will force me to focus on shooting black and white for a while, which is a good thing. So, I'll take the much cheaper route of processing my own film, since it will be mostly black and white anyway. To be honest, I really enjoy the hands-on processing of my film, anyway. It's good to smell the fixer once in a while.

 

The fact that my friend Dennis gave me 20 rolls of Gekko 100 black and white film, and a 100' roll of Agfa black and white 400 speed film only adds to my rationale.

 

So, get ready for a lot of black and white film shots from me! Hope you enjoy.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Incredible Price on the New Lumix DMC-LX100

Amazon has the silver version of the LX100 for $779.01 right now. It is out of stock, but apparently there were some available yesterday. That's a pretty great price. Please use my blog's Amazon link to buy yours!

 

The LX100 appears to be a worthy upgrade from the already very capable LX7 (which I have). The LX100 uses almost the entire area of a full Micro 4/3 sensor, much larger than the sensor in the LX7.

 

One of my friends just bought the Leica version of the LX100, the DLUX Type 109. He shared with me a couple of large prints (around 16x20). They were absolutely spectacular.

 

I'm not ready to pull the trigger on the upgrade for my LX7, but this price has me thinking.

 

Again, please use my link to Amazon to buy yours, and support my blog at no cost to you!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

Leica USA Service on my M9 - How Did It Go? Details, Dates, Prices

Image Source: http://us.leica-camera.com/service/service_and_repair/

After using my Leica M9 reasonably heavily last year, most significantly for my Whole Lotta Leica series, I decided it was time to send it off for a nice cleaning and checkout at Leica Service USA. I don't believe in cleaning my own sensors, though I know many people do it with no problem.

(Click Here) to see all of my Whole Lotta Leica posts from last year.

(Click Here) to get to Leica's service page.

I know that I was curious before shipping my beloved camera off. How long will it be gone? How much will the service cost? What else should I expect? So, in an effort to help anyone else with these questions, I'll describe my experience in some detail.

First, am I satisfied with my experience? In brief, yes. I got everything I expected, basically in the manner that I expected. I now feel that my M9 is as good as new, in fact certified so.

Here's a brief timeline of what transpired:

December 26, 2013 - I packed the M9 up in its original packaging, and shipped it off to Allendale, New Jersey, via Fedex Ground (I live in Virginia, so it's a relatively short distance).

December 30, 2013 - delivery exception. I didn't anticipate it, but Leica Service was closed the entire week between Christmas and New Years.

January 2, 2014 - the M9 is delivered to Leica Service USA.

January 13, 2014 - having not heard anything, I send an email query to get the status of my estimate.

January 14, 2014 - I receive a prompt, very polite response and estimate ($475). This is probably a minimum, as my camera was working just fine and only needs routine service and cleaning.

January 15, 2014 - I call Leica Service USA to give them my credit card number and authorize service. I am informed that service would take 3-4 weeks from this point.

February 7, 2014 - Leica ships the M9 back to me via UPS.

February 11, 2014 - I receive the camera back, in great condition.

A few questions I had during the process:

1. If I hadn't inquired on January 13, how long would it have been before I received an estimate? No way to tell.
   
2. Would they automatically process my 15% service discount for being a member of LHSA (International Leica Society)? Answer: Since this is a relatively new program, they didn't seem to know right away what I was talking about. However, the discount was applied correctly. Note that this is a major benefit of being an LHSA member, and even with a minimal service order price, the discount compensated for my LHSA membership for a full year.

(Click Here) to explore and join LHSA.

Other things to note?

I was informed that the covering on my M9 would be replaced with a different material, as the original is no longer available. I was a little concerned about this, especially since I use the accessory M9 grip, whose covering matched the original camera covering. Not to worry, the new covering is better in my opinion, and looks just fine with the original grip covering.

I feel quite comfortable with the experience overall, and will not hesitate to use Leica Service USA in the future. My camera is clean, certified in 100% good operating order, and ready to go!

Thanks, Leica Service USA!

DMC-365.blogspot.com

Nikkor Lenses From The Past

This morning I read a nice post on Bill Fortney's blog, about him finding some pages from a 1970 Nikkor catalog, complete with pricing that he hand wrote after getting quotes from the local camera store.

 

 

Image Source: http://billfortney.com/?p=9521#comment-16639

 

Bill has used many of these older lenses, including AI-equipped manual focus lenses on the digital D700 and D800 bodies with great effect. One of his favorites is the 80-200mm f4.5. I have its cousin, the AIS 80-200 f4, which I recently picked up for $100. That's actually kind of a high price for this lens, but I'm glad I got mine; it's a beautiful example. Here's a shot I made with that lens on the D700:

 

Enthusiastic Young Soccer Fan, by Reed A. George

Nikon D700, AIS 80-200mm f4 Manual Focus Lens

 

Bill also fondly mentions a lens I've never seen or tried - the 25-50mm f4. I'll have to keep my eye open for that one.

 

I'm also still enjoying my pre-AI lenses on the F2 film body. More images from that coming soon.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Google and Nik Software - Here's An Answer To The Naysayers!

 

Church on Kauai, by Reed A. George

Processed with Nik HDR Pro Software

 

Last October, I wrote an entry about the news that Nik Software had been purchased by Google.

 

(Click Here) to see that post.

 

Nik makes a suite of software products for digital photo processing - everything from black and white conversion to high dynamic range (HDR), and more. I only owned their HDR Pro product - until now. I have always been pleased with how HDR Pro works.

 

At the time the news of the Google purchase came out, there was a significant amount of speculation that this was bad news for serious photographers, that Google would focus only on Nik's low-end products for web use, etc. I wasn't so sure.

 

I'm happy to report a couple of things that show Google's really in this for the good of photographers as well as casual snapshooters.

 

First off - they've slashed the prices on the whole Nik Suite. I remember seeing it for ~$400 before the Google purchase. Now, it lists for $149!

 

(Click Here) for an article on the price cut on USA Today's website.

 

I think this is great news. You get the significant horsepower and development capabilities of Google at a MUCH lower price than when the company was independent. Hard to complain.

 

Next, I heard a rumor that if you owned any Nik software from the past, even a single package (like me), you could get a free download of the entire suite. Sounds too good to be true. So, I tried it. I went to the Nik homepage, found the contact page, and asked the question. I was completely honest, told them I only owned HDR Pro, and had heard a rumor. They replied very rapidly, asked for my HDR Pro product key, and affirmed that I can receive the entire suite! I haven't received it yet, but expect to very soon. Wow. That is customer service.

 

(Click Here) for Nik's contact page.

 

So, while they sometimes definitely are, big companies aren't always the evil empire. Thanks, Google!

 

One more thing - Nik's lower end product, Snapseed, is also very cool. Search my blog if you want to see a few examples.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

My new Kindle eBook on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7, how to set it up and use it, is available here:

 

 

 

Now Here's An Amazing Deal - Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 Micro 4/3 Camera for $249.95! Please Buy Yours Through My Link to Amazon!

Image Source: amazon.com

 

Amazing. Right now (who knows for how long?), you can get the great Lumix G3 for $249.95. That's 58% off of list price.

 

I've been shooting a pair of G3s this year, with results that make me quite happy. That includes some low-light shots of live music, etc.

 

Get it now, at Amazon. Please use the link below to get yours. It costs you nothing to use my link, and helps support my blog.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Amazing Deal! Lumix DMC-LX7 for $299 New!

 

Panasonic DMC-LX7

Image Source: http://www.huntsphotoandvideo.com/detail_page.cfm?ProductID=DMCLX7K&mfg=Panasonic&show=yes

 
First off, I have no connection to Hunt's Photo. However, they have an incredible deal on the Lumix DMC-LX7 today. Get it quick!
 
(Click Here) to go to Hunt's for the LX7 at $299 (regularly ~$499)!
 
This is an awesome little camera. I have the previous version, the DMC-LX5. It's an amazing street shooter, with raw file capability, a fast lens, and quick response. The LX7 has an even faster f1.4 lens.
 
I am sorely tempted by this deal, and would go for it if it didn't mean buying a new electronic viewfinder (it's different from the one on the LX5) and spare batteries. The truth is, I'm happy with the LX5, so it's not worth the upgrade for me. If I didn't have the LX5, I'd jump on this in an instant.
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 
If you buy one, please get your finder (LVF-2) and extra batteries through the link below:
 
 
 

Guilty as Charged - Leica M9 Is a Luxury Item

 

 

Leica M9

Image Source: http://us.leica-camera.com/photography/m_system/m9/

 

I read a very interesting article on THEME by Ming Thein recently. The thesis of the piece is that expensive cameras have some similarities to luxury watches - and some differences.

 

(Click Here) to read Ming's story on THEME.

 

In terms of similarities, Ming makes the point that expensive watches (tens or even hundreds of times more expensive than fully functional modern watches in the lower end) not only lack any technical advantage in terms of accuracy or allowing the user to tell time better, they are worse. A mechanical Rolex is much less accurate than a Casio.

 

The similarities end when you consider that cameras really are tools for creative work. Ming makes the case that there are a lot of poor pictures made with Leicas and Hasselblads. In fact, he believes that the photographers responsible believe their crappy pictures are good, simply because of the tool they were taken with. I can see his point, but don't fully agree. I think this behavior reflects more about the person than the camera they're using.

 

I have recently bought a used Leica M9. Yes, it is a luxury. But you know what? I work really hard for my money, and am very happy to be able to enjoy the luxury of using what I consider to be a great tool. My Leica pictures are no better than those taken with a $350 Lumix DMC-G3. But, they are more fun to take!

 

I also believe that the Leica is capable of producing unique (not better) photographic feel - if I can connect with it better than other cameras. I certainly believe it takes more to make a good picture with the Leica. The same goes for shooting film in my opinion. I am more likely to develop that skill, and move into new creative ground, if I absolutely love the camera I'm using.

 

When I consider what Ming presents, I tend to think of cars rather than watches. For example, a Chevy Corvette will outperform a Porsche Carrera in almost every measure. I like both cars. However, early on, before I transformed into a family station wagon driver, I had a 1986 Porsche. I actually made the decision between the 1986 Porsche and a 1989 Corvette. The Corvette was awesome - fast, tight, like a jet fighter. The Porsche was something altogether different. I just plain fell in love with it. It also took me a while to learn how to drive the Porsche. But boy, was that a fun experience.

 

And back to Ming's point, I never felt that driving a Porsche made me a good driver. It did challenge me in different ways. Ways that added to my life, not the quality of my driving.

 

So, I will be sharing my experiences in using the M9 with you dear readers, as well as my continued use of the excellent products available and coming from Panasonic. Thanks for indulging my need for a little luxury in my favorite hobby.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

Incredible Deal on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 on Amazon

This is the best price I've ever seen on this camera:
 
 
 
 
I am quite tempted to buy one myself at this price.
 
Get it while the price is low!
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com